My CT usually asks questions to check if the students are paying attention and to check for understanding during her lectures. I feel that 90% of the questions she asks are asking the students to relay facts or textbook definitions. During the lecture she asks questions such as "What is a protein?", "What is a carbohydrate?" "What is the monomer of a protein?" and "What is a monomer?". She asks these questions most of the time, and asks them often, calling on students who have their hands raised. My CT is also the person who usually initiates the questions as well. I find it odd, but the students rarely ask questions. Every so often there is a question, but they usually ask things such as "What did you just say?" "How do you spell that?" and/or "What is the homework?" I find this same situation in all of her classes in every level of the class and every level of perceived ability of the students.
The other day she did ask a question that had the students apply a concept to a new situation. She asked them what they ate for breakfast and had them list what category it mostly fell under (Protein, Carbohydrate, or Lipid). She then had them share their results and corrected them if they were wrong. She also asked why they thought that it fell under the category that they stated and explained why it didn't. This type of question was not a recall question but required more thinking. In this situation, my CT also asked the students to explain their thinking. So overall, recall is about 90% of the questions asked during classroom discussion and the other 10% is higher level thinking and questioning.
In addition, I never witnessed my CT encourage his or her students to be critical or skeptical or facilitate classroom discussion so that students are expressing scientific ideas to other students.
REFLECTION:
I feel as if the students in my CT's classroom are very passive about the information she is lecturing them on. I don't know if they just aren't interested, maybe tired because the class is early, or just bored, but I hope to have a different atmosphere in my future classroom. I want to foster a classroom where the students are constantly thinking for themselves, interested, and asking questions. Some teachers find constant questions an annoyance and disruption to their lecture, but I love the fact that the students care enough and/or are interested enough to ask questions. I will always welcome a raised hand!
Also, I want to be asking more than recall questions. Anyone can memorize and recall information, but that doesn't mean that they understand or can use the information. Both during lecture and during group activities, I want to ask the students questions that will get them critically thinking and applying the information they are learning. I feel that these groups will also give the students the opportunity to express scientific ideas to each other. By doing this, not only will the students be interacting and socializing, but they will be learning with and from each other.
OBSERVATION:
My CT usually asks questions to check if the students are paying attention and to check for understanding during her lectures. I feel that 90% of the questions she asks are asking the students to relay facts or textbook definitions. During the lecture she asks questions such as "What is a protein?", "What is a carbohydrate?" "What is the monomer of a protein?" and "What is a monomer?". She asks these questions most of the time, and asks them often, calling on students who have their hands raised. My CT is also the person who usually initiates the questions as well. I find it odd, but the students rarely ask questions. Every so often there is a question, but they usually ask things such as "What did you just say?" "How do you spell that?" and/or "What is the homework?" I find this same situation in all of her classes in every level of the class and every level of perceived ability of the students.
The other day she did ask a question that had the students apply a concept to a new situation. She asked them what they ate for breakfast and had them list what category it mostly fell under (Protein, Carbohydrate, or Lipid). She then had them share their results and corrected them if they were wrong. She also asked why they thought that it fell under the category that they stated and explained why it didn't. This type of question was not a recall question but required more thinking. In this situation, my CT also asked the students to explain their thinking. So overall, recall is about 90% of the questions asked during classroom discussion and the other 10% is higher level thinking and questioning.
In addition, I never witnessed my CT encourage his or her students to be critical or skeptical or facilitate classroom discussion so that students are expressing scientific ideas to other students.
REFLECTION:
I feel as if the students in my CT's classroom are very passive about the information she is lecturing them on. I don't know if they just aren't interested, maybe tired because the class is early, or just bored, but I hope to have a different atmosphere in my future classroom. I want to foster a classroom where the students are constantly thinking for themselves, interested, and asking questions. Some teachers find constant questions an annoyance and disruption to their lecture, but I love the fact that the students care enough and/or are interested enough to ask questions. I will always welcome a raised hand!
Also, I want to be asking more than recall questions. Anyone can memorize and recall information, but that doesn't mean that they understand or can use the information. Both during lecture and during group activities, I want to ask the students questions that will get them critically thinking and applying the information they are learning. I feel that these groups will also give the students the opportunity to express scientific ideas to each other. By doing this, not only will the students be interacting and socializing, but they will be learning with and from each other.